Porter Cable 557 vs DeWalt DW682K Biscuit Joiner

Porter Cable 557 vs DeWalt DW682K

The two best mid-range biscuit joiners available head to head its the Porter Cable 557 vs DeWalt DW682K biscuit joiner face-off.

If you are looking for a new biscuit joiner and are not looking to spend a fortune on a Lamello or even try Festool's Domino joiner(that is also a small fortune) then the Porter Cable vs DeWalt biscuit joiners are the top two choices on the market right now.

Further, they both come in at a mid-range price point and both are very capable and quality built tools. So which is best, well let's take a quick look at each ones features first. 


Porter Cable 557 Review

Porter Cable 557 Review

The Porter Cable 557 has very powerful 7 Amp motor. With it's high end motor can tackle pretty much any hardwood you can throw at it. The rpm tops out at an impressive 10,000 rpm.

 The biggest advantages the Porter Cable has over it's competitors are it's versatility and quality.

The 557 has an industry leading fence adjustment. It's fence can be adjusted to a max setting of 135 degrees with the usual adjustable stops at 90 degrees. The majority of other biscuit joiners are only adjustable to 90 degrees maximum.

Additionally, the fence also features a micro-height adjustment knob that enables correct positioning leading to greater precision and more versatility. The fence also boasts a lock on trigger and has a specially designed pivot point that gives more accurate height reading than other plate joiners.

For the price the Porter Cable 775 is one of the most accurate and reliable biscuit. It is even a match more the extremely expensive Lamello biscuit joiner if you take price into consideration.

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Comes with 4 inch blade, blade wrench, centering plate and a dust bag.

Specifications

  • Pwered by a 7 Amp motor that spins to 10,000 rpm
  • Capable of 7 different cutting settings
  • Largest adjustable fence from 0 to 135 degrees, positive stops at 90 degrees
  • Comes with a 4 inch blade and there is a 2 inch blade available(separately)  
  • Simple blade change system

DeWalt DW682K Review

DeWalt DW682K Review

The DeWalt DW682 is powered by a 6.5 Amp motor with a top speed of 10,000 rpm also. 

It's design is a one piece fence that can be adjusted from 0 through 90 degrees. The accuracy of the cut is mostly about ensuring that the fence and the blade are parallel this is assured via a twin rack-and-pinion system for adjusting the fence.

Although the fence is limited to 90 degrees you can still use the DeWalt on mitered edges of more than 90 degrees thanks to a notch cut out of the bottom of the fence.

Keeping the fence and your wood surface firmly connected during cutting are anti-slip pins which can help greatly with keeping your alignment true and accurate.

Just like the DeWalt it comes with a dust collecting bag that can be hooked up to a shop vacuum.

Also, included in the box is a carbide blade, vacuum adapter, dust bag, wrench and Torx key plus a kit box to store and transport it in.

What is the difference between DeWalt DW682 vs DW682K ?
The DW682 is the tool only model number. The DW682K is the full biscuit joiner kit which is the one reviewed here.

Also, note you can no longer purchase the DW682 as a stand alone tool. It must now be purchased as the DW682K kit.  

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Specifications

  • Motor power is 6.5 Amp at 10,000 rpm
  • One piece fence adjusts from 0 to 90 degrees
  • Heavy quality built shoe
  • 3 year limited warranty

Porter Cable 557 vs DeWalt DW682K

Although both models perform very admirably and are also incredibly popular choices for the average woodworker there can only be one winner.

The Porter Cable 557 is a clear winner over the DeWalt biscuit joiner. 

It has a slightly more powerful motor 7.0 Amp versus the DeWalt's 6.5 Amp. The fence is adjustable from 0 to 135 degrees against the DeWalt's standard 90. It can also accept a smaller 2 inch blade that allows for even smaller biscuits to be used which is quite useful on smaller form factor pieces.

And ergonomically it is slightly nicer to use and more intuitive than the DeWalt.

However the DeWalt is still a solid performer and also if you are on a strict budget or only need to make the occasional biscuit join it might be the better option .

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